To Town Readers:<br><br>I serve as a citizen representative on the M-UTC Committee - here's an update on tonight's meeting regarding the proposed Wachovia Bank development at the corner of E-W Highway and Route 1.<br><br>Representatives from Potomac Development, Wachovia Bank, HBA Architects, and Bay Engineering met with the committee tonight. The committee had requested in particular the opportunity to address Wachovia directly regarding their proposal.
<br> <br>There were no major redesigns proposed tonight, but it was a useful discussion. The committee re-emphasized concerns about the proposed building's lack of conformance with the zoning guidelines. Wachovia expressed willingness to go back and see if they could do more to address town concerns. So, we will wait to see what they come up with in that regard.
<br><br>For those who are not familiar, the zoning guidelines offer a great deal of flexibility but are also fairly specific about things like building set back, building heights, and so on. <br>I am appending a copy of the plan review comments prepared by Park and Planning, who provides professional plan review as part of this process (below).
<br><br>Thanks,<br>Alice Ewen Walker<br>MUTC Committee Member<br><br><br>Riverdale Park M-U-TC Application 2006-001<br><br>Subject: Proposed Wachovia <br><br>Location: 6241 Baltimore Avenue <br><br>Size: approximately
1.75 acres.<br><br>Existing Uses: vacant<br><br>Proposal: 4,500sf.bank building with 4 drive thru lanes.<br><br>GENERAL PLAN, MASTER PLAN AND SMA <br><br>2002 General Plan: Developed Tier <br><br>Master Plan: Planning Area 68 Master Plan/Riverdale Park Mixed-Use-Town Center Plan
<br><br> Planning Area/<br> Community: PA 68/Riverdale Park.<br><br> Land Use: Retail commercial.<br><br> Environmental: No environmental issues.<br><br> Historic Resources: No historic issues.
<br><br> Transportation: The property is located in the southeast quadrant of the intersection of Baltimore Avenue and East-West Highway. The State Highway Administration (SHA) needs to approve the changes to the ingress and egress to the site. The applicant is working with SHA to obtain approval for the ingress and egress as shown on the plans.
<br><br> Public Facilities: No public facilities issues.<br><br> Parks & Trails: No parks and trails issues.<br><br>SMA/Zoning: Riverdale Park M-U-TC<br><br>PLANNING ISSUES<br><br> The Riverdale Park M-U-TC Committee will be premature in reviewing the Eckerd Pharmacy Site Plan until the site plan is reviewed by SHA. Phase one of the site plan shows Beale Circle closed to the existing users whose circulation was based on the circulation afforded by Beale Circle between East-West Highway and Queensbury Road.
<br><br> Use of the municipal street parking is in effect a closure of the road and will necessitate several processes to legitimize the closure:<br><br>o Road Closure process The Town holds a public hearing to determine the appropriateness of closing Beale Circle. (The Town would provide M-NCPPC a document declaring the road closed.
<br><br>o Street vacation process The municipality and the applicant file a Vacation Petition to vacate street. The town must provide exhibits (Plat of Computation) showing how parts of Beale Circle are to be reverted to each party. These exhibits (maps) show the Tax and Assessments office how the property is to be reverted.
<br><br>o Subdivision process A condition of the vacation is likely to be a Section 24-108 minor plat of subdivision incorporating all the vacated area reverting to the applicant's proposed development of the Eckerd Pharmacy Store.
<br><br>Riverdale Park M-U-TC Plan Land Use Policies and Development Standards<br><br> The Riverdale Park M-U-TC Plan does not make a specific recommendation for the subject property. However, Table 1 on page 23 of the plan makes recommendations for the development of parcel 1a and 1c, which are directly across the street from the subject property. The Plan's recommendation is for a signature building for parcel 1a. The recommendation for parcel 1c is for infill development. Additionally, parcel 1a has been improved with a brick one-story bank building.
<br><br> Per page 31 of the Plan, "A signature building is one that is located on a site that has a very public face such as a street corner or view terminus and is located where the building may create a first impression of the community making design considerations more important; infill buildings are built between other buildings and may be less noticeable to the general public. Here, quality design is important but the building does not need to distinguish itself from its neighbors. Compatibility requires that the buildings should incorporate positive elements of nearby buildings to avoid a jarring contrast in the streetscape. The subject property is a signature development site and will leave a lasting impression of the community. Consideration needs to be given to the following to reflect the M-U-TC standards:
<br><br>1) Build-to line (Page 40) East side of US 1 north of Queensbury shall be 15 feet with a 7-foot wide sidewalk or 20 feet for a 12-foot sidewalk plus or minus 4 feet from the face of curb. The building is set back 49 feet from the face of curb, which is twice as much as required per the standard.
<br><br>2) The M-U-TC Committee would like to have SHA comments on the access and circulation to the site.<br><br>3) An earlier proposal for an Eckerd Drug store provided a continuous 7-foot sidewalk and wall along East-West Highway and along Baltimore Avenue. The subject plans do not contain enough information to determine if the wall and sidewalks are proposed.
<br><br>a. All wall details need to be provided on the plans and should be compatible with materials used in the building.<br><br>4) Landscaping - A landscape plan needs to be provided that implements the development standards # 1, 3, and 4, per page 44 of the plan. Deviation from these standards may require a special permit review. (Note: The earlier proposed Eckerd plan for this site proposed shrub plantings in front of the wall along East-West Highway, however, it is recommended that the shrubs be eliminated and replaced with ground cover material such as Liriope.)
<br><br>5) Streetscape - Standard 6 (page 60, Riverdale Park M-U-TC Plan) requires one street tree (2 ½ to 3 inch caliper) be planted in the landscape strip every 30 to 40 feet (relative to full growth size). The frontage on East-West Highway is 180 feet, which necessitates 4-5 shade trees. The frontage on US 1 is approximately 160 feet, which necessitates 4 to 5 shade trees. Deviation from this standard may require a special permit review.
<br><br><br>6) Building Height - (page 45, Riverdale Park M-U-TC Plan) Standard one provides that building height shall conform to Table 5, which requires a minimum building height of 2-stories in this location south of East-West Highway. Deviation from this standard may require a special permit review.
<br><br>7) Architecture - (page 47, Riverdale Park M-U-TC Plan) The proposal does not meet standard 1 for a three-part composition where the base, middle and top are distinct parts of the whole building on all public faces. Deviation from this standard may require a special permit review.
<br><br>8) Parking The proposal requires 28 parking spaces per part 11 of the Zoning Ordinance. (i.e. for a 4,500 sf. Bank building that generates normal parking demand, 1 space per every 150 sf. Of gross floor area up to 3000 gfa. And 1 space per every 200 sf. Of floor area above 3,000 sf., which in this case is 1500 sf. Thus, the parking required per part 11 of the Zoning Ordinance is 28 parking spaces. However, the Riverdale Park M-U-TC Plan provides in standard 1, page 39 requires a maximum parking range of 80% of that required in part 11 of the
Z.O. The result is that parking shall not exceed 23 parking spaces. The proposal provides 45 parking spaces or 22 more parking spaces than are allowed. Deviation from this standard may require a special permit review. On the other hand, elimination of the excess parking spaces could result in a building orientation that better meets the building placement standards found on pages 34 and 35 of the Riverdale Park M-U-TC Plan.
<br><br>9) Fencing, screening and buffering - Dumpsters, HVAC units, and utility mechanical equipment shall be completely screened so as not to be visible from sidewalks. (Page 35, #4).<br><br>10) Lighting A detailed site plan will need to provide lighting details in accordance with the standards on page 43 of the plan.
<br><br>11) Landscaping - A detailed site plan will need to provide a landscape plan in accordance with the standards on page 44 of the plan. <br><br>12) Streetscape - A detailed site plan will need to provide streetscape improvements in accordance with the standards on pages 58 - 61of the plan.
<br> <br>13) Services, Utilities, and Stormwater Management A detailed site plan will need to place utilities and HVAC units where they are not visible from the streets in accordance with the standards described on page 38 of the Plan. Variances from standards 1, 2, 3 and 4, may require a special permit review.
<br><br>14) Noise Mitigation - A detailed site plan will need to meet the design standards in accordance with the standards described on page 53 of the Plan. Variances from standards 1, and 2, may require a special permit review.
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